Coach rules change in Brunswick allows exemptions

Monday

Sep 16, 2013 at 10:05 PM

All coaches currently in good standing in the program will not have to serve further time away from coaching

By Jason GonzalesJason.Gonzales@StarNewsOnline.com

The Brunswick County Board of Commissioners approved revisions to its youth sports volunteer policy Monday that make it harder for those convicted of certain crimes to coach – but those changes came with a caveat.The fear of losing more than 20 percent of the county's coaches and volunteers because of the lengthier suspensions for certain crimes led commissioners to exempt all coaches currently in good standing in the program, meaning coaches who have served a suspension under the more lenient rules will not have to serve further time away from coaching.More than 60 percent of the county's youth sports volunteers have a misdemeanor or felony offense on their records, according to Parks and Recreation Director Jim PryorThe exemption clause was brought forth by Commissioner Scott Phillips, who said he worried about the loss of the coaches who already have served their time away from volunteering. He added the county would have little to gain from further suspending those coaches."If they were selected to be a coach … and they had good standing over last year, why should they be penalized again?" Phillips said.The revisions, passed by a 4-1 vote, will take place at the beginning of the next sports season, which is basketball. Commissioner Marty Cooke dissented because he said he wanted to refine the language around the exemptions. "I want to define this as narrowly as possible because of the gravity of the situation," Cooke said.The stricter rules passed at the meeting will place a five-year ban for driving-while-impaired or drunk-and-disorderly convictions – an increase from the current one-year ban for those convictions. The ban for those convicted of more serious crimes would increase from seven years to 15 years. That includes, but is not limited to, crimes such as child endangerment, fraud, embezzlement and providing alcohol to a minor.The idea to bring the policy to commissioners was first suggested by Cooke, after the Parks and Recreation Advisory board in April decided to take a look at the policy. The rules originally were adopted in 2007, and then revised to be more lenient in 2009.But the stricter version of the rules didn't reach commissioners until last month after a lawsuit was filed Aug. 12 against the county asking to ban a coach from acting as a volunteer.According to the lawsuit, Brian McDowell was coaching a team called the Lockwood Folly Chiefs on Oct. 6, 2012, when he allegedly ordered a player to illegally hit Kasey Hollar, a 12-year-old opponent.The lawsuit led to a restraining order against McDowell, but the case is yet to be decided. McDowell said his criminal record is being used against him in a lawsuit that he called a personal vendetta. Under the updated rules, McDowell would be eligible to coach because he already served a one-year suspension from coaching for driving-while-impaired.Although longtime coaches with the county will be exempt, Commissioner Frank Williams warned that new offenses will be subject to the new rules. "They won't have to worry unless they commit another offense," Williams said.